Among family, friends and the University of St. Thomas community, Guadalupe Rodriguez signed a letter on Oct. 22 declaring her intent to play soccer for the first women’s soccer team in the school’s history.

“What an exciting day for UST women’s soccer,” said Nikola Barjaktarevic, head coach for women’s soccer. “We couldn’t be happier to kick off our first ever recruiting class and make this announcement about Guadalupe joining our inaugural team. I strongly believe Guadalupe embodies what we want in our student athletes — that is, a hardworking, smart, talented young lady who has a positive attitude and great character. We believe she will be an impact player from the beginning and a great addition to our campus and Celt athletics.”

Rodriguez, a high school senior from Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, has been playing soccer since she the age of five. In the 15 years since, she has played nearly every position, from defender to forward and most recently, right outside midfielder. She has also accumulated a slew of accolades and top five tournament finishes, including a second place finish at the 2012 U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Premier League West and winning 2013 district, bi-district and Area Championship with the Clements High School varsity team.

Rodriguez said she is excited for what lies ahead.

“Just the idea of starting something new and getting a chance to set the standards for the next generation of girls who play soccer for UST is something I think is really exciting,” she said.

Off the field Rodriguez plans to study nursing and hopes to pursue a career caring for children in a hospital setting. In fact, it was the quality of education as well as the Catholic tradition that led to Rodriguez’s decision to attend UST.

“I chose UST to further my academic and soccer career because I loved how it is a small school, meaning I would get to know my teachers and they would get to know me,” Rodriguez said. “St. Thomas is giving me the opportunity to be able to play soccer in college while also receiving an extraordinary education in the nursing field.”

The signing marked a day of celebration— a celebration for UST athletics, the UST community and indeed for Rodriguez and her family. Rodriguez’s father, Augustin, had this to say about the day’s events:

“We are very excited about our daughter playing soccer. She has been working very hard for this and it is a dream come true for her and for us too.”

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University of St. Thomas
The University of St. Thomas, dedicated to educating leaders of faith and character, is a private institution committed to the liberal arts and to the religious, ethical and intellectual tradition of Catholic higher education. St. Thomas is Houston’s only Catholic University and was founded by the Basilian Fathers in 1947.